to see if they could negotiate an agreement.”
“No luck?”
“The Clancys aren’t interested in anything but full custody.”
“But anyone could see Bonnie belongs with you,” she said, gesturing to his hand holding the bottle.
“My lawyers think this is about anger. They’re angry their daughter is gone. And they want the last link to her.”
She nodded. “Bonnie.”
“Yes,” he said, gazing at his baby girl. “And they’re angry at me because I have her.”
“I’m sorry, Liam.” Her voice was full of compassion, and just for a moment he let himself accept what she was offering. But only for a moment.
“Thank you, but don’t be sorry for me—cheer me up instead.” He grinned as he glanced up, wanting to just sit and listen to her speak in her beautiful accent. “Tell me about Larsland.”
Her eyelids drifted closed as she rocked Meg. “It’s beautiful,” she said, her voice dreamy. “The sky is a blue I haven’t seen since I left. The birds are different, so the birdsong early in the morning is distinctive. And the old cities on the main islands are a mixture of modern buildings and stone structures, some dating back hundreds of years.”
As she continued to describe the sights, he glanced down at his daughter. Bonnie blinked at him as she drank, as if mesmerized. Her gave her a smile, then looked back to Jenna as she talked about her homeland, and suddenly he knew how Bonnie felt. Enthralled. He was enchanted by Jenna in the soft lamplight, by the glow of her skin and the emotion in her eyes. His body heated with heady warmth.
He’d never wanted to kiss a woman more.
Of course, the irony was that he’d never met a woman more off-limits. She was an employee, and he’d never cross that line and become a boss who made advances to women who worked for him. That type of behavior was deplorable.
Worse, Jenna Peters was the employee he particularly couldn’t afford to scare off. Bonnie was the most important thing in the world to him, and Bonnie needed Jenna. If he made a pass at Jenna and she left, he’d never forgive himself. Being able to handle a night feeding on his own was a far cry from being able to look after his daughter’s every need. Sure, he could get another nanny, but could he guarantee he’d be able to find one Bonnie liked as much? Whom he could trust as much?
No, kissing Jenna would be bad on so many levels. He held back a groan. Perhaps he should change the subject to something more practical, something she’d be less passionate about.
“I heard you met with Danielle again today.” He’d asked his PA to meet with Jenna as soon as she could schedule it to get moving on the launch of the Midnight Lily and they’d now had two meetings in two days.
“She’s great,” Jenna said brightly. “We had our meeting while I changed diapers and carted babies around. She didn’t flinch or lose her train of thought once.”
Liam was pleased but not surprised. Hawke’s Blooms was known for paying its staff well, but in return, they had high expectations of every employee. “Did you get far with the plans?”
“We made a list of what needs to be done in the next week, and she’s going to liaise with people in Adam’s and Dylan’s offices. She’s already booked The Gold Palm as the venue and they’re talking about the guest list. I think everything’s on track.”
“Thank you again for agreeing to help with this. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, smiling. “It’s actually been fun.”
From the expression on her face, he didn’t doubt that, but she was still doing him a favor. “I’ve been thinking, since you’re handling this on top of your nanny duties, you should be compensated accordingly.”
She held up a hand, her eyes suddenly serious. “I couldn’t take more money. I’m barely doing anything—Danielle is doing most of the work.”
“I’m not comfortable with you getting nothing. If you won’t take extra money, then what?” He settled his gaze on her, wishing he could see inside her mind. “Tell me what you want, Jenna.”
* * *
Jenna couldn’t catch her breath. With his dark green eyes on her like that, her body quivered. What did she want? Him. No question. Just him.
But that wasn’t what he meant. She bit down on her lip and looked away. “I can’t think of anything.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Then you’re a rare person. Everyone wants something. What about a trip home to Larsland? We could wait until Bonnie’s a bit older and get someone to fill in here for you for a couple of weeks.”
Jenna stroked Meg’s head as the baby’s eyes grew heavy. “I’m not ready to go home just yet.”
“Well, a trip somewhere else. Or if you don’t want to travel, then perhaps a night out. Dylan’s always getting tickets to Hollywood premieres and offering them to me. Fancy a night on the red carpet?”
An event swarming with media? She suppressed a shiver. The very last thing she needed was to be snapped in the background of a celebrity shot by a paparazzo and have the photo beamed around the world.
“I’ll just take Meg next door,” she said, glad her daughter had fallen asleep. She needed a moment to think of something to distract Liam.
After laying her daughter in her crib and kissing the top of her head, she went back to Liam and Bonnie. “The only thing I can think of is a puppy. Bonnie could have her own dog to grow up with her, and the puppy would be another constant in her life.”
The royal court had several dogs, and one of the happiest memories of her childhood was when her parents had let her have a puppy of her own. The only stipulation had been on the dog’s size. Because it would be living in a palace, it needed to be small and easily controlled. Her little Sigrid had been white, fluffy and her best friend. One day she hoped to be settled enough to get a dog for Meg, but there was no reason Bonnie couldn’t have a little puppy soon—they’d just need to carefully supervise their interactions while Bonnie was so small.
Liam’s gaze told her he hadn’t been fooled for a second. “I have no problem with Bonnie having a puppy, but that’s not something for you.”
“I’d love a dog,” she said earnestly, “so having one for Bonnie would be like having one for me too.”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “Still not good enough. It has to be something else.”
She released a breath and put up her hands. “Liam, honestly, this job is like a godsend to me. I have a home for my daughter and can spend all day with her.” She looked down at the precious baby cradled in his arm. “Bonnie is the icing on the cake. I truly love her, and so does Meg.”
Liam lifted the empty bottle from Bonnie’s lips. “You’ll have to teach me to burp her now, but—” he looked up at her, eyebrows raised “—we haven’t finished on this topic yet.”
“Noted,” she said, hoping she’d have worked out what
